Sunday, 21 January 2018

An elevator pitch is a brief speech to spark an interest in your product, or in this case, book. It’s used to create curiosity in you as an author and your books, but it’s short (hence the name ‘elevator pitch’) and should last no longer than 30 to 40 seconds.Here are my tips on promoting Wide Awake Asleep in a few seconds:

In one second make a short sharp introduction to you and your book. Be sure to know the name of person you are addressing!

Mr Smith, hi, my name's Louise Wise and my time-travel, romance book is called Wide Awake Asleep where my character, Julie, is sent back in time to the 1970s and 80s.

In ten seconds sum up your book. Make sure you sound enthusiastic and not apologetic. Enthusiasm is contagious!

It was written in the stars that Julie and Darren would meet, but Julie's timeline was faulty and their meeting never happened, so fate stepped in to put it right by sending her back in time to correct the error. But by doing so she changed not just her future, but those around her.

In one second say what’s special about your book? I'm sure you can think of something. If not your book, then you. What's special about you?

Wide Awake Asleep is based on a real village called Potterspury in Northamptonshire.

In two seconds can you name any other books whose readers would likely enjoy reading your book?

The Time Traveler's Wife and the Butterfly Effect are popular books, also the movie Sliding Doors. Both books and the movie, especially those who liked Sliding Doors should enjoy Wide Awake Asleep. But those who loved the British Life on Mars series would really resonate with Wide Awake Asleep.

In five seconds discuss what experience you have when it comes to writing. If this is your first book tell them about any competitions you've entered. Being shortlisted is an achievement so mention it.

I've written five books in total, not including the many that aren't published. Two books are sci-fi, and are my most popular to date, my others are comedy romances. I've written for women's magazines in the past which include Take a Break and Women's Own.I've won several writing competitions in Writers' Life.

In ten/fifteen seconds tell them about any feedback from readers regarding your current book.

Readers have been really enthusiastic about Wide Awake Asleep, especially those in England, and all my reviews have been five-starred since it was released. Waterstones, in my home town, have stocked the book and feedback has been that it's selling well and because of that I am in the process of arranging an author-signing event, which will happen at the end of the month.

In two seconds thank them for listening, and offer them a copy of your book if you have one to hand. And don't forget a business card! If you haven't got one yet, then now is the time to order a batch. They aren't expensive, so shop around.

Practice the elevator pitch in front of a mirror until you are fluent without any 'erms', 'ums' and 'you knows' dropping in. Also notice how I've inserted the title of my book where possible (instead of just saying 'my book').

Practice your smile, record yourself speaking and see where you start rambling or become unstuck.

You can use this formula to write your synopsis, changing the seconds to line counts. Works for me!

WIDE AWAKE ASLEEP

No one knew she was driving on that stretch of road. No one saw her car leave the highway and crash into a watery ditch. No one heard the car’s windscreen smash or saw the tree branch come through to impale her to her seat.

No one heard her screams.

Julie Compton’s life should have come to an end that day, but instead that was the beginning of Julie’s new life as she wakes unharmed to realise she is back in 1972 and primed to relive her childhood all over again.

Journey back to the 70s and 80s England where Julie is forced to jump through the eras, occupying and controlling other people’s bodies she knew as a child. She must work out which destiny path was the wrong one all while wondering if her body, back in 2016, was dying in her car.

With each momentous change, her memories transform and she realises she’s not only changing her future but of those around her. She’s finally ‘living’ but does that mean she must die?

I graduated almost 15 years ago and have worked ever since.
Yet somehow I find myself sleeping on Olivia's sofa and living on £70 a week. The
Local Housing Allowance for Manchester is just £440 – not enough to cover the
rent on my flat, so I handed my notice in. Then I discovered the council
wouldn’t help rehouse me because I’d made myself ‘intentionally’ homeless.

I’m hoping to top up my £70 Employment & Support
Allowance with a Personal Independence Payment. I’ve spent days filling in
forms. I’ve been told it’s difficult to get PIP, but to apply anyway as over
60% of rejected claims are approved at appeal. What a shame they don’t grant
the benefit first time round and spend the money wasted on appeals on mental
health services – to speed up access to services.

When I came out of hospital, I didn’t see anyone for six
weeks. I didn’t know I should go and see my GP – nobody told me. And I’m not
really in the right place mentally to make decisions.

When I saw the psychiatrist she admitted I’d only seen her
so ‘quickly’ because my notes referred to an overdose. Without that magic word,
the wait is four months. I’ve since been discharged by the psychiatrist and
referred back to my GP. I’m now on a waiting list for psychotherapy and
counselling. The wait can be up to two years.

How am I meant to pick up the pieces of my life with so
little support?

Faye's heart still
belongs to her first love, Jack. She knows he might have moved on, but when she
decides to track him down, nothing prepares her for the news that he's taken
his own life.

With the fragility of life staring them in the face, Abbie finds
herself questioning her marriage, and Faye her friendship with Ethan. And poor
Olivia is questioning everything - including why Jack's death has hit Beth the
hardest. Is she about to take her own life too?

Sarah Marie Graye was
born in Manchester, United Kingdom, in 1975, to English Catholic parents. One
of five daughters, to the outside world Sarah Marie's childhood followed a
relatively typical Manchester upbringing... until aged 9, when she was
diagnosed with depression.

It's a diagnosis that
has stayed with Sarah Marie over three decades, and something she believes has
coloured every life decision.

Now in her early 40s, and with an MA Creative Writing from London South
Bank University (where she was the vice-chancellor's scholarship holder), Sarah
Marie has published her debut novel - about family, friendships and mental
health.

Friday, 5 January 2018

To
take advantage of this FREE promo event all you need to do is write a guest post of 300 - 900
words approx. giving advice, offering tips, revealing what worked for you or
simply sharing a drafted scene from your novel to finished article (if you
dare!).

Maybe you ace at the sex scenes? Or your dialogue sparkles? Or your scene development is
wonderfully created? Can you offer advice on how it’s done?